Considerations When Adopting Course Materials: Alternate Format Materials

The ODS and/or faculty can provide alternate formats for course text materials, when available, for individuals with print based disabilities who qualify for this accommodation. Examples include:

• Audio (e.g. Learning Ally, a national, non-profit organization that provides the largest collection of human-narrated audio textbooks and literature) (ODS)
• Electronic format such as Microsoft Word or PDF versions that can be used with text-to-speech software (ODS)
• Braille (12 week advance notice requested) (ODS)
• Large print (ODS)
• Handouts in digital format (Microsoft word or PDF) (faculty)
• Digital material in handouts/printed form (faculty or student may be able to print themselves)

Please consider working with publishers who provide their materials in alternate format to promote equity and accessibility--their websites typically include a statement on accessibility. Eligible students who make a request for alternate formatted textbooks/electronic textbooks must provide specific course and textbook information to the ODS every semester in order to receive this accommodation. Therefore, timely posting of course materials is important so that students can request alternate formats enough in advance to receive them before the semester begins.

Tips for Implementing this Accommodation

• Submit your course materials list early. Locating and/or reformatting electronic files can be a lengthy process. Be aware that students may contact you early for this information since they are concerned with having accessible materials ready in advance of the class start date.

Questions, concerns or requests for additional information should be directed to the ODS.

Considerations When Designing Courses: Creating Accessible Materials

Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) Principles operate under the premise that instructors/designers consider the widest array of users/learners when creating curriculum. To consider the widest array of users is to understand the wide array of cognitive profiles and how each and every brain is unique in how it receives, perceives, processes, and produces information. One short cut towards ensuring that your curriculum is accessible by a larger heterogeneous population of learners is to design with the extreme ends of the user continuum in mind. As faculty preparing future employees and employers, it is highly recommended to teach students how to create accessible materials and to understand accessibility and usability design practices to ensure that as future employees and employers potentially generating information, materials and spaces, they are in compliance with federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

For instance, if you are designing curriculum that will deliver information in a visual format, keep in mind the user/learner who does not have the ability to receive or perceive visual information. Designing your materials with this user profile in mind will not only ensure that your materials are accessible to the individual without vision, but will help your materials to be accessible for individuals with print-based/language based disabilities or even for individuals with executive function based disabilities.

Likewise, considering learners who are not able to receive or perceive auditory information will require that the instructor is ensuring that any auditory-based information presented in their curriculum is accompanied by visual and/or print-based formats.

Consider using this Checklist for Inclusive Teaching from the University of Washington.

Microsoft Office and Accessibility Formatting

For users of the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Office provides built-in accessibility tools to help users ensure that they are creating accessible documents. In addition, Microsoft provides an online resources via their Office Support website. The Office Support website includes training videos and tutorials that document step-by-step procedures.

Online Tutorials

Below is a list of hyperlinked tutorials that are available on Microsoft’s Office Support website.

• Creating accessible Word documents
• Creating accessible Excel files
• Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations
• Create accessible PDFs
• Accessibility Checker Rules
• All Microsoft Office Training

For more information on accessible materials, visit:

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials Learn the basics of accessible educational materials, register for and view webinars and presentations from their AEM Events, and discover AEM Publications to dive deeper into AEM.

WebAim (Web Accessibility in Mind). Watch training videos, use accessibility checklists, and website accessibility evaluation tools.

Using Accessible Materials

Another way to ensure accessibility and usability of your course content is through the careful selection of curriculum materials that you require students to interact with in your course. This can be managed through the adoption of course texts that are available from the publisher in digital format (e.g. etext, or accessible PDF files) and by using videos that are captioned or auditory materials that come with digital text transcripts. Asking publishers upfront for accessible versions of their materials can make the difference between having your course be readily accessible by a wider array of learners at the start of the semester versus your having to make time during the semester to work to make your materials accessible to specific learners who enroll in your course who require accommodations related to materials accessibility. Removing barriers towards accessing your course content can improve student outcomes by reducing student frustration and increasing student persistence and retention by freeing up cognitive working space so that learners can focus on the meaning of content as opposed to the steps required to “get at” the content.